Page 49 of Seven of Hearts

“Because whether we want to admit it or not, we both need each other. Even if it’s not romantically.”

Leah huffed as I took a chance and moved closer, sliding my hands onto her hips.

“You shoulder burdens that aren’t yours to carry, and now you have a baby to think about too.Ourbaby. You do everything for everyone. Let me think about you.”

“Logan...” Her defenses were waning. She wanted this. Wanted the companionship.

“I mean it, honeybee.” I kissed her forehead. “And you know what you made me realize? That I need someone in my life that I can talk to. I don’t have friends. But I’d really like for you to be my first. So what do you say? Can I be your help? Can you be my friend?”

Hesitantly, she nodded.

“Yeah?”

“Okay,” she croaked.

“You don’t have to do this alone, Leah. I don’t know how this ends for us, but I know how it ends for this little one,” I said as I laid my hand protectively over her belly. “With two people who will go to the ends of the earth for their child because they know what it feels like to have parents who don’t. I think, in time, we can find what works for us.”

“I really have to pee now,” she whispered.

I chuckled. “Go pee. I’ve gotta get back to Kristin’s house to get online for work.”

Leah chewed on her lip. “I’ll be at the Lawsons’ house today, so I won’t be next door.”

I dipped back into her bedroom to grab my shirt. “Then maybe I’ll have to text you again sometime.”

“Tomorrow we needto get on a call with the Chicago development team to discuss the next steps,” Bryan said. “Logan, do you want to head it up or have someone else take point?”

I peeled my eyes away from my phone and looked over the cluster of laptops that littered Will and Kristin’s dining room table. Since Will, Bryan, and I were all in town, it made sense to work together.

“What was that?” I muttered as I glanced at the screen to see where we were. I had zoned out somewhere around the thirty-three percent mark of yet another slide deck.

Will stifled a smile, but didn’t say anything.

Bryan huffed. “Do you want to run the development meeting with your team back in Chicago, or do you want someone else to do it?”

“Paisley should do it. She’s been the driving force behind the scenes. I want to give her a chance to step up into a leadership role,” I said as I fired off a text to Leah, letting her know I had plans this evening, but I’d be around if she needed anything.

Will nodded. “Good observation.”

“Would have been better if you had paid attention to my slide deck,” Bryan grumbled.

I closed my laptop and pushed away from the dining room table. “Dude, call it a PowerPoint. They’ve been around since the 90s. Calling it a ‘slide deck’ doesn’t make it special. And it could’ve been an email.”

Bryan just glowered.

“You’ve been missed,” Will snickered.

Bryan turned to Will. “You thought my slide deck was good, right?”

Will wavered for a moment. “It was good. It definitely could have been an email, though.” He looked up at me as I stood. “You heading out?”

I grabbed my keys. “Yeah, I’m gonna go kidnap Bryan’s wife and yell at her.”

“You’re only allowed to return her if you feed her,” he said. “Congrats, by the way. Kylie told me the news. More like she yelled the news, but she’ll get over it.”

“I’m gonna make her get over it,” I grumbled as I headed out the door.

My timing was perfect. Over the few days I had stayed here, I had come to learn that Will and Kristin’s house was a meeting place of sorts. Kylie and Bryan often came over for dinner or to socialize. Although Hunter had his own place, he and his girlfriend made frequent appearances just to hang out. Zoey was here the least, and she actually lived here. Such was the social calendar of a budding adult.

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